Standing would put off women

Those who maintain that standing areas would put off women overlook two key facts:Around 85% of any ground introducing safe standing areas would remain all-seater

7% of female fans prefer to stand

More child friendly - No standing fans in the way

With standing fans of both sexes accommodated in designated standing areas, fans - be they male, female, young or old - who prefer to sit would be able to go to games confident that in the grandstand they chose to use fans would not be standing in front of them ... and that if any did, fellow fans (as, unlike now, standers in a seating area would be perceived by all as being in the wrong place) would point out the error of their ways and fully support stewards in making them sit down or - if possible - moving them to the standing area.

Female fans stand too!

However, contrary to what the authorities might have you believe, it is not just male fans that like to stand. The Premier League's own report on the 2007/08 season (which surveyed over 30,000 fans) found that 15% of male fans preferred to stand and 7% of female fans felt the same way. The League had asked “Are you aware of people persistently standing around you when you attend matches?” and 7% of female respondents replied "Yes, and it increases my enjoyment of the game."

Four stadiums full of standing female fans

In 2007/08 the Premier League attracted an aggregate attendance of 13,734,837. The report indicates that 15% of all fans were female, i.e. 2,060,255. Of those, the Premier League report shows, 7% found standing increased their enjoyment of the game, that's an aggregate total of 144,251 ... or equivalent to, for example, White Hart Lane being full four times over of standing female fans that current rules deny the opportunity to watch football in the way that they find most enjoyable.